Curt Trailer Hitch Installation on 2015 Subaru Forester

Question:

I was watching the installation video for Curt part #C13144 on my 2015 Subaru Forester. I had a question about the instructions at 2:50 in the video. There are four holes on each side of the vehicle. The manufacturers instructions say to use a die grinder to widen the rear-most three holes. The video says I can simply widen the front-most hole with 2 pry bars. However in the next part of the video where the bolts are fish-lined to the vehicle so the hitch receiver can be attached, the front-most hole isnt used, and the back three are. Is this a mistake in the video? And to expand the three rear holes, did you use pry bars, or a die grinder? Thank you.

asked by: Anne L

Expert Reply:

Curt hitch # C13144 fits several model years of the Subaru Forester including your 2015 and the 2016 model year shown in the linked video you referenced. The forward-most hole in the car's frame, the one that is shown in the video being enlarged with the pry bars, is simply for accessing the interior of the frame rail, but not for installation of the hitch hardware. Three, not four, fasteners are used on each side of the hitch. When you place the hitch up into position under the car you'll easily be able to see which frame holes are intended to take the hardware since they will be the ones that line up with the holes on the hitch's two mounting flanges.

The written instructions advise to enlarge one of the other holes but the method shown in the video is perfectly fine, and I did confirm this with my contact at Curt.

expert reply by: Adam R